How to Create the Perfect Uncle Sam Costume Look

Video of How to Create the Perfect Uncle Sam Costume Look using items from Halloween Express.

The Fourth of July is arguably the most exciting holiday celebration of the summer months, and when it comes to patriotic characters, Uncle Sam is likely the hands-down favorite. Uncle Sam is highly recognized as the embodiment of the patriotic spirit; his image having evolved into what we commonly view him as today, a white haired and bearded gentleman decked in his snazzy, razzle-dazzle best, including a top hat and tails; all done up of course, in the colors of red, white and blue.

Uncle Sam obviously is a fictitious character, but you may be curious as to where this quirky patriotic fellow came from. Back during the War of 1812, a meat packer named Samuel Wilson supplied meat rations to the U.S. Army. On the outside of the barreled rations of meat was the stamp, ďU.S.Ē which of course, stood for United States. The stamp and the rations eventually began to be referred to by the soldiers as belonging to Uncle Sam, becoming a nickname for the Federal Government that has somehow stuck for all these years. Folks, the rest of the story is history.

If you are looking to recreate an Uncle Sam look for your Memorial Day or Fourth of July parade, celebration or party, youíve come to the right place. Use our step-by-step instructions to create a whimsical and realistic looking Sam that is going to get you into a truly patriotic spirit in a hurry!

Step One: Apply a basic foundation to the face if desired and apply Colorset Powder (Product #DD321) to remove any shine from the face, setting the makeup to avoid smudging.

Step Two: To give Uncle Sam a rosy appearance to his cheeks, dab on a little of Celebre Cheek Color (Product #DD425) in Rosewood.

Step Three: Using the braided (curly) crepe wool in white (Product #CB1), unwind a small length of the crepe wool and tear off a small piece, removing any twine that is braided into it. Fluff out a small length of the crepe wool and create a bushy eyebrow shape. Apply Spirit Gum (Product #CSAD001C) with the brush to the eyebrow area, using care when working in the eye area. Touch the Spirit gum with your finger and when it starts to feel tacky, press the eyebrow you have created with the crepe wool onto the spirit gum. Apply more spirit gum around the edges if necessary, pressing the crepe wool gently to get good adhesion.

Step Four: In order to create Uncle Samís classic goatee, we used a straight crepe wool fiber, also in white. (Product #CB29) Apply spirit gum under the chin to begin. Sections of the crepe wool will be applied in layers, as if they were shingles of a roof. Apply the first layer under the chin and then apply more spirit gum above this layer and apply another layer of crepe wool. When you get to the last layer of beard that will be applied right under the lower lip, cut the wool at an angle so it almost comes to a point at the point under the bottom lip. This will help your beard more closely resemble natural hair growth.

Step Five: If you wish to give your Uncle Sam a little more of an aged look, you can add some wrinkles using a sharp black liner pencil (Product #DD535). The best way to achieve this is to wrinkle your face in various positions and apply the pencil in the crevices created when you make a scrunched up face. Blend the lines lightly with your finger if desired.

Step Six: Now itís time to get into your Uncle Sam costume gear. We have used a white wig (Product #CA02) and mussed it a little in order to get a slightly disheveled look. Our Uncle Sam is wearing a very snazzy Uncle Sam costume in vibrant red, white and blue, (Product #AA144) along with white spats (Product #BB95) and white gloves (Product #BA2) giving him a very polished, fully accessorized look. To get into a truly patriotic spirit, our female model is wearing our darling Sailor costume. (Product #UA83633) Of course, we love getting our pets into the action, and our patriotic pooch is showing off his own sassy Sailor look as well. (Product #PM859570)

Showing your patriotism is easy when you have the right costume! Have fun getting into the Fourth of July spirit with this fabulous patriotic look!